NCAA FB

No. 16 Huskies seek 4-0 start against Arizona

SEATTLE (AP)

Steve Sarkisian's decision to have Washington follow the trend
of playing offense as fast as possible can be traced somewhat to
what happened last year in Tucson.

Arizona didn't just blow out the Huskies in a 52-17 thumping.
Washington experienced firsthand just how physically exhausting it
can be trying to keep up with skilled playmakers in a high-tempo
offense.

''I felt like Arizona's tempo got us, and this is part of the
reason we're doing what we're doing offensively, is to prepare for
this game,'' Sarkisian said.

Get ready for a dizzying pace come Saturday afternoon when the
16th-ranked Huskies (3-0) host Arizona (3-0) in the Pac-12 opener
for both schools. It's a matchup of two of the fastest-paced teams,
two of the best running backs in the country and two programs
trying to validate unbeaten starts.

Washington has not started 4-0 since 2001. A win over the
Wildcats would set up the Huskies for two huge weeks that will go a
long way toward deciding how close they are to getting back on the
national stage, with a road trip to No. 5 Stanford followed by a
home showdown against No. 2 Oregon.

Arizona's non-conference schedule did little to offer concrete
evidence that the Wildcats are Pac-12 South contenders - with wins
over Northern Arizona, UNLV and Texas-San Antonio. Saturday's game
will be the Wildcats' first true challenge.

Here are five things to know about Saturday's conference
opener:

CAREY AND SANKEY: Although they'll never actually face off, the
matchup of Arizona running back Ka'Deem Carey and Washington's
Bishop Sankey is intriguing. Carey led the country with 1,929 yards
rushing last season and because of the number of quality running
backs in the Pac-12, Sankey's 1,439 yards went somewhat unnoticed.
Sankey enters the week No. 2 in the country, averaging 148.7 yards
per game, despite getting just four carries for 77 yards last week
against Idaho State. ''He's a great back. I respect his game,''
Sankey said. ''I'm more worried about their defense. Maybe if he
played outside linebacker I would be more worried about him.''

PROTECT THE BALL: Arizona is tied for third in the country in
turnover margin at plus-6 through three games. They've forced eight
turnovers total with six interceptions. Washington QB Keith Price
has been careful throwing the ball so far, his only interception
coming on the first pass of the season against Boise State. That
kind of ball security will need to continue against the
Wildcats.

PASSING FANCY: Arizona's running game has picked up where it
left off last year, with Carey averaging 149.5 yards in his two
games this season and the Wildcats running for 322 per game as a
team. But unlike last year, the Wildcats' passing game hasn't
provided balance. QB B.J. Denker is averaging just 108.5 yards
through the air and has attempted only 55 passes in three games. No
Arizona receiver has more than seven receptions. Washington may
load up along the line of scrimmage to try to contain the run game
and force Denker to throw over the top. ''Most of the reason the
numbers weren't so good was because we were running the ball so
well,'' Denker said. ''It's not like I don't know what our
receivers are going to do. It's just being young and not really
having to throw the ball every down.''

PACE OF PLAY: Arizona may partly be the blueprint Washington
used for its new offense, but the Wildcats seem almost plodding
compared to the Huskies so far this season. Washington is averaging
83 plays per game so far while the Wildcats are at just 68. Those
extra plays are partly why Washington is third in the country in
total offense, averaging 629 yards per game, trailing only Oregon
and Baylor. And the Huskies are doing it with the kind of balance
Arizona did a season ago; Washington is averaging 325.3 through the
air and 303.7 on the ground. Last year, Arizona averaged 83 plays
per game, with 298 yards through the air and 298 on the ground.

EXPECT CRAZY: It all started with Ortege Jenkins and his
head-over-heels flipping touchdown in the closing seconds to beat
Washington 31-28 in 1998 and has continued since. Whenever the
Wildcats and Huskies meet in Seattle, it's a close game. They've
played eight times at Husky Stadium since 1998 with a cumulative
score of Washington 258, Arizona 254 and with no game decided by
more than 11 points. Most famous for Washington was Mason Foster's
interception return for a TD - from a deflection off an Arizona
receiver's foot - for a 36-33 win in 2009.

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